


Honesty

by Happyscarlet



Series: We Are Family [1]
Category: haikyuu
Genre: Childhood Friends, KinKuni - Freeform, M/M, Multi, Pining, Slow Burn, akira and Kentarou are matsuhana's sons, family angst?, matsuhana parents, seijou parents and kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-30
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-07-29 01:01:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7664185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happyscarlet/pseuds/Happyscarlet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone Akira's ever known hides behind a mask, his parents do it, his brother does it, and every person he's ever met does it. It makes sense, it's a form of self preservation, and Akira honestly thought that's what everyone did. That changes though when he meets another boy from his kindegarten grade class.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya! I have two other fics I'm working on but I had this idea and had to get it down! I hope you like it!

The Hanamaki boys and their parents seem completely different on the surface. Both boys are considered quiet and serious, and while seperated their parents can be quiet, together they act like ridiculous teenagers. Takahiro and Issei love to joke around and are often quite sarcastic. They also seem to have no troubles in socializing with others, while their two boys seem to have difficulty making friends. Despite this there is one thing the Hanamaki family has in common, none of them know how to talk about their feelings. 

Both Issei and Takahiro like to hide their true feelings behind jokes and teasing. Issei, to make up for the fact that with a sick mother growing up, he was forced to grow up a lot quicker, and Takahiro because he came from a strict household. At this point it's more out of habit then conscious thought. Both parents are supportive in their own ways, Issei often showing he cares through teasing touches, and Hanamaki through "ironic" sentimentality (there are only so many birthday videos you can take of your children ironically.)  
Kentarou, the eldest son, is quite sensitive. He is an empathetic crier, he loves making cream puffs with his father, drawing with his brother, and bringing home any animal he finds outside. He is terrible at expressing himself and often gets flustered. Once he went to kindergarten he realized that it was weird for boys to know how to bake, it was weird for little boys to cry, and it was weird to have two dads. Kentarou was quickly ostracized and bullied, his parents tried to protect him, tried to encourage him to be unique, and Kentarou still was unique, but he compensated by pushing others away and toughening up. Getting into, and winning enough fights to be left alone. Now he was in first grade and content to be left alone.  
Akira the youngest son, often just keeps his thoughts and feelings to himself. He prefers to sit back and observe. People often comment on the five year olds blank stare and quiet personality. His parents don't seem to mind though, and neither does his brother. Akira does feel, despite what others may think. He often finds other kids to be stupid, he hates playing tag, but likes hide and seek. He doesn't like being bossed around and his parents have accused him of being quite rebellious. He isn't afraid of heights or much of anything to his parents dismay and is more likely to try to do something himself then ask for help. He also cares a lot about his family. When Kentarou is feeling down Akira will sometimes take his hand and ask him to play outside with him, despite the fact that he doesn't like getting dirty or the tiny scrapes and scratches that come with it. When his father is sad he will often be very quiet and act far away, so Akira will grab one of his storybooks and crawl on his father's lap. When Akira's pop is upset he will say mean things about himself. When that happens Akira will tug on his dad's pant leg and reach his arms out to be held. The point being none of them are genuine about their feelings. Akira has met other people, and though he is still young he has a theory that everyone is this way. Maybe not as much as his own family, but Akira believes everyone hides behind a mask, and lies about how they feel. So far he has seen no evidence to suggest otherwise.

Today is Akira's first day of school and he stands with his brother outside as Takihiro takes pictures and harasses them, suggesting ridiculous poses and gushing about "his babies." Their father Issei is right there cracking jokes, something about Akira and Kentarou looking like their facing a life sentence. Soon their conversation devolves until both parents are dissolving into a giggle fit. Meanwhile the two brothers lament having, what must be, the most embarrassing parents in the world. Eventually Hanamakki kisses Matsukawa goodbye and Kentarou is leading Akira to the school quietly. Issei trails his children nonchalantly shoving his hands in his pockets. Akira clutches his brother's sleeve, a nervous frown tugging his lips. Because despite what others may think, Akira knows he hasn't mastered his straight faced expression as much as his father. Akira is nervous and on edge, he doesn't know the details of what Kentarou faced but he knows that his brother's changed. He is more distant than he was a year ago, he's more defensive, and more aggressive. Not that Kentarou has ever hit him, in fact Kentarou is quite gentle with Akira and he is truly greatful for him. Even if Kentarou has too much energy and wears him out.

They wind down the streets toward the elementary school in comfortable silence but once the school comes into view Kentarou lets him go and strides forward. Akira instantly feels more nervous, he can't help but notice his brother's rigid posture, like he is preparing himself for a fight while walking into school. Akira clutches his backpack straps tightly and feels a large, familiar hand ruffling up his hair. The boy turns and looks up at his father unimpressed. Issei merely chuckles to himself while looking into his child's subtle pout.

  
"Your brother's just dramatic," then he leans in whispering conspiringly, "he gets that from your pop." Akira just raises an eyebrow, imagining how his pop would react if he had heard. Matsukawa's smile slips off as he reads his son's expression.  
"Don't tell him I said that."

A hint of a smirk plays on the young boy's features as he considers ratting out his father. Matsukawa knows his son and doesn't hesitate to pull out the big guns.  
"I'll make you some salted caramel."  
"Deal."  
Matsukawa smiles with relief, and ruffles his sons hair, eager to mess it up. Unfortunately, Akira's hair is unfairly straight, so it only takes a moment for him to fix it. It works in distracting his son so Issei counts it as a win.  
"Wait for your brother to get out of class, your pop will meet you here."  
Akira nods and strides into the school like he's done it a million times and Issei watches him go with a bittersweet smile. 

Akira enters the building's main doors that he sees other children walking, or being dragged into. He notices some of the less mature children crying and screaming, while some of the more outgoing children run into the building barely saying anything to their parents. The hallways are filled with a disorienting amount of sound and Akira feels a bit like a fish out of water. The walls are filled with crude, colorful, drawings and activities. Their images just as loud as the sounds around him and Akira is attempted to turn around and leave. Just then someone grabs his shoulder, a smiling woman with short hair whom must be a teacher.  
"Hello there, are you lost?"  
Akira shrugs because he's not sure what to say and knows at this point there's no escaping anymore.  
"What room are you in?"  
"Room number 4."  
The woman smiles and brings him into a vibrant room across the hall. When they enter the room a teacher is crouched down next to a student. He has silver hair and soft brown eyes, he's pretty for a man and Akira tell that most of the time the feeling of calm around him works. The boy he's with doesn't seem to be comforted though. Tears roll down the boy's eyes in a steady stream and the blessedly quiet room is only interrupted by the occasional sniffle. Akira observes the boy, he has dark eyes and eyebrows pulled down. He has short, black, spiky hair and an impressive pout. What strikes Akira most is how expressive the boy's face is, the boy doesn't even bother hiding his tears. Akira walks by the pair going over to the cubbies, putting his backpack and lunchbox away.(He's glad his parents warned him ahead of time that they would have to do this.) He goes to pass the still- crying boy and the distressed looking teacher, but more students file in with parents and the still- crying boy seems more quiet then the rest. So Akira sits himself down in the seat next to him as the silver-head teacher is pulled away by other students and adults. Akira rests his head on his desk but the boy next to him starts to hiccup-sob. 

The boy never dissolves into full on hysterics (like some of the children here) but he seems to have grown more distraught. Akira lifts his head and looks at his desk neighbor deciding to intervene so as to limit the chances of the boy making too much noise.  
"You should put away your stuff in a cubby."  
The boy looks startled but then sniffles his voice wobbling with emotion,  
"W-w-what?"  
"My pop told me that I probably have to put my things in a cubby, and everyone else is putting things in a cubby too."  
The boy was still pouting but seemed to quiet with thought.  
"Which cubby?"  
Akira rolled his eyes, how should he know?  
"We can share a cubby."  
Akira turned on his heel and lead the boy to his cubby, not bothering to check if the other boy was behind him. Which was alright because other the boy was.  
Akira showed the boy where his things were and the other boy put his stuff in the cubby too. Akira was greatful that the boy hadn't shoved his things in carelessly like the other kids.  
"My name's Iwaizumi Yutaro."  
Akira nodded to the boy, not really caring.  
"My name's Hanamaki Akira."  
The other boy grinned and held out his hand, it had some dirt and cuts on it. Akira stared rather than touching Iwaizumi's gross hand. Eventually the boy frowned and dropped his hand. Hurt and rejection clear on his face.  
Akira took the boys hand, despite not wanting to, and muttered a quiet, "it's good to meet you."  
Iwaizumi Yutaro beamed at him.


	2. Chapter 2

Akira usually knows what to expect, he's a sharp kid. However, he is caught completely off guard, when his act of "kindness" earns him a friendship with Yutaro. It's not as if these things are uncommon among children his age, in fact he's seen kids bond over much less.  
Akira isn't most kids though, he's not shy but he likes quiet, likes to go his own pace, and is perfectly happy to be alone. He knows he's more mature than most of the children his age, but there's something about Yutaro, and Akira can't seem to push him away.

The day passes with a chorus of "Makki-chan look at this!" And "Makki-chan come here!" It's strange hearing his own name called over enthusiastically. Stranger still is the way Akira eagerly comes when called, like a little dog. It's kind of annoying. At one point Yutaro asks him to play tag, Akira's least favorite game. Yet Yutaro looks so excited that Akira easily agrees and chases after him. They actually manage to play throughout recess and both Akira and Yutaro come in covered in dirt. For the most part Akira is actually having fun. The only real problem is the teacher, who keeps smiling smugly in their direction, turning away quickly and whistling when Akira catches him and glares. 

After recess comes story time and all the children eagerly clamor to arrange themselves into a circle. They are instructed to sit Indian style, most children opt out but both Yutaro and Akira follow the instruction. At first both boys keep their eyes forward, listening intently to the story being told. Then someone, (neither boy knows whom) accidentally bumps their knee into the other. Akira looks down at some point, his eyes straying from his teacher and realizes Yutaro's knee is on top of his. Akira smiles a bit to himself before adjusting his position so his knee rest on top of Yutaro's. Yutaro peers over than and readjusts their position so his knee is once again on top. This competition starts out friendly and easy going, neither boy wanting to get into trouble. The game escalates as the boys grow progressively more bold. It gets to the point where Akira and Yutaro are having a hard time sitting upright. Akira can't tell anymore if he's biting back giggles or whimpers, the game strangely fun as it is painful. Luckily both boys stop their knee-knocking before they can be caught by their teacher. Akira knows his knees will be littered with bruises that he'll regret tomorrow, but for now he thinks of the game fondly. 

Luckily nap time is next as all the children in class are lead to the area with mats and are directed to pick a spot. Some of the children fight it, they try to argue with the teacher. Other children are simply so exhausted that they drag the mat like it ways a million pounds. Akira's exhaustion doesn't hit him until he is laying on the mat. All the aches and sores of strenuous play suddenly sinking him down further and further. His eyes immediately flutter closed, reguardless of the loud children all around him. He feels a hand in his, and with a Herculean amount of effort, and opens his eyes, the person holding his hand is Yutaro. He doesn't look particularly tired, his eyes wide open as he stares at the ceiling. Akira likes the feel of this soft hand in his, because, truth be told, he could be quite cuddly when he wanted to be. Most of Akira's family knew and used it as an excuse to cuddle him in his sleep. Akira, in his tired state, wondered how Yutaro knew. Soon though, thinking became difficult, his mind grew clouded and Akira closed his eyes, slipping quickly into a peaceful sleep.

Unfortunately nap time only lasted so long and soon the room was filled with noise. Akira was willing to try and lull himself back to sleep but then he felt a small hand shaking him awake.  
"Nii-chan," Akira huffed irritably, rolling away from his pesky older brother.  
The voice chuckled, a little softer sounding than expected, "No, it's me Yutaro."  
Akira grumbled but sat up rubbing his eyes, there was a blanket thrown over him and Akira clutched it tightly. Yutaro seemed more energetic after his nap taking Akira's hand and leading him over to their neighboring desks. The rest of the day proceeded, Akira was grumpy and irritable for awhile but Yutaro didn't seem to mind, either giggling or shrugging at some of the mean things Akira said. After awhile Akira cheered up, and by the end of the day he and Yutaro were coloring together. Akira was absorbed in his picture, he was drawing a picture of Yutaro and him playing hide and seek. Akira hoped that Yutaro would pick up on the hint and play hide and seek with him tomorrow.  
"He has pink hair."  
Akira looked up and saw his pop talking to the teacher and sighed.  
"That's my pop." Yutaro looked confused for a moment, "but I thought your dad dropped you off?"  
"Yeah that was my dad, now my pop is picking me up." Yutaro blinked for a few moments, "oh.... Hey look, that's my dad! We gotta say hi." Yutaro took Akira's hand and lead him to their cubby. They both grabbed their things Yutaro chattering the whole way how great his dad was. Then Yutaro strolled up to his father, Akira's hand still in his. Yutaro's father wasn't as tall as Akira's but he did look very strong. He had similarly black, spiky hair, and a friendly smile.  
"Hey kid," he reaches down, ruffling Yutaro's hair affectionatly, "I heard you had a good first day."  
"Yeah. I was sad at first but than Makki-chan helped me! We played all day!"  
Their teacher's voice interrupted them, "they've been inseparable."  
"Who is this imposter? Is this my son?" Akira sighs and looks up at his pop who is wearing a lazy grin. There's a glint in his eye though, that Akira doesn't miss. Akira holds out his arms as his pop tsks unconvincingly, before scooping up his youngest son.   
"You're covered in dirt, bruises, and scrapes, you look like your brother." Akira doesn't bother answering his pop, he knows all too well that the pink- haired man is just trying to goad him.   
"I think it's time to go," Iwaizumi-San says, "say goodbye to your friend." Yutaro frowns but trudges over to Takahiro and Akira, he reaches up and pulls on Akira's pant leg.   
"Will you play with me again tomorrow Makki-chan?" Akira looks into Yutaro's eyes and nods his head once. Yutaro's eyes brighten and he returns the single nod. Yutaro turns to his father and grabs his hand before both of them head out of the room. 

Akira's pop seems infuriatingly pleased but he decides not to tease Akira. So, things could probably be a lot worse. They make their way down the craft-riddled hall, down to room number 12. The children here seem a little less excited to see their parents. Akira notices a lack of sleeping mats and cubbies, Akira deduces he's not looking forward to first grade. When they spot Kentarou both Akira and Takahiro become worried. Kentarou was always a too serious kid, he was always far more likely to scowl than to smile. Yet neither of them had ever seen Kentarou like this. Kentarou was seated at his desk, his posture painfully rigid. His fists were tight by his side and the rest of the children have him a wide birth. Takahiro frowned for a split second before rearranging his expression to one of nonchalance. Takahiro approached his eldest son, whom, upon seeing his father walked up to them. Kentarou didn't have any dirt or scrapes on him, he didn't have any goodbyes to give,and it seemed Kentarou's teacher wasn't coming over to talk. Takahiro grabbed Kentarou's hand,carrying his youngest child on his other hip. They left the school like that, most of the Hanamaki down the familiar path to their home away from home. Akira all the while looking down at his brother, who seemed to be relaxing more and more the farther away they got from the school. Akira secretly hoped that Kentarou would find a friend like Yutaro, but that wouldn't happen for many years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! Thanks for reading... I didn't realize before I wrote this fic that the last names/first names thing would get so complicated in this fic. So I'll work on that lol, for now my solution is to refer to the boys using their first names. Then to refer to Makki as "pop" and Matssun as "dad."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry there might be a lot of errors in this chapter, I'm a pretty sleepy duck right now, but hopefully I'll come back and edit it soon.

When they entered the shop the smell of bread and cakes wafted through the air, it wasn't a smell that Akira was attracted to as much as other people seemed to be but this is what home smelled like to him. It was obvious when he looked down at Kentarou that he was a lot more relaxed too, his expression much more open as he let go of his pops hand and ran to the back of the bakery. When he came back out it was with their dad who wore a neutral look.  
"Ah, my favorite customers."  
  
"Don't play cute with me Issei," their pop said as he leaned over the counter, Akira still perched on his other hip, "I want the goods."  
  
"Hmmm..." Their dad's voice dropped as he leaned closer over the glass counter, "I think that could be arranged." Their dad leans over and kisses their pop, Kentarou shouting "Gross!"before escaping to the back, while Akira just requests to be put down please. His pop chuckles and breaks away from the kiss to put his son down because his pop is not a monster who wants to scar his son forever.  
Akira runs off to the back quickly before he has to see anymore but not before he hears his pop say.  
"Mmmm, please continue, but I meant the creampuffs Issei."  
His dad breaks out into a chuckle before more kissing sounds are heard and then when he makes it into the back he hears no noise at all and finds his brother sitting on the floor and scowling. Akira doesn't say a word but sits himself next to his brother quietly sulking with them.  
"They're so gross! Why do they have to do that? It's embarrassing."  
Akira agrees wholeheartedly but, "I think that's what you do when you love someone like daddies do." Though Akira knows that the sick delight they get from grossing out their children isn't a shared thing all parents have.  
Kentarou is still scowling but he looks over, than he makes a scary face he's never seen his brother make before.  
"Did someone hurt you?"  
  
Akira blinks confused looking down at himself, "No," he looks back to his brother, "this is from playing."  
  
"No one was mean to you?"  
  
"No, I didn't play with anyone else."  
,  
Kentarou watches him for a bit, trying to see if Akira is telling the truth, when Kentarou is satisfied he nods and stands up, "Tell me if anyone is mean to you okay?"  
Akira doesn't like it but he nods anyway and even seals the contract with a pinky swear.  
Before Kentarou can ask anything else his father's call from the front "Come on kiddos! We are decent now. We won’t scar you’re fragile sensibility anymore." Akira sighs heavily and follows his brother to the front, his parents don't look too different, his dad looks a bit smug and his pop looks a bit more giddy but other than that everything seems normal.  
  
"Akira tell your father about your friend!"  
Akira scowls, he hates being put in the spotlight, "I made a friend."  
Akira, what have we talked about? Descriptors, adjectives, you're a smart kid tell us more about him.  
  
"He's got spiky hair."  
  
Takahiro sighs at his son and pats his head condescendingly, "It's okay, we can work on it, luckily Sugawara-senpai gave me pictures and the full scoop!"  
  
So his pop shows his dad the pictures, Kentarou seems curious but he just grabs a cupcake and pretends not to listen, Akira is reminded once again of how lucky he is for his brother. As his pop goes on about how Akira played a lot with Yutaro and how they held hands while they slept (Akira actually blushes at this part but luckily a customer comes in right on time but his dad doesn't miss it.)  
  
When the customer gets out Akira's dad sneaks him two salted caramels and Akira takes them and sits down, he knows the second one is somewhat an apology for his pop embarassing him but honestly Akira doesn't mind if he gets more caramels. He offers his second to Kentarou but he shakes his head.  
Akira thinks it's okay, everyone's wrong sometimes.  
Just then Miss Shirofuku comes back in, stealing a chocolate on her way to the back and winking at the boys. Akira likes her, she's playful but she's not too loud and mostly just easygoing, however he thinks she might be the worst kind of person to employ at a bakery. The woman's stomach is an endless pit, luckily she doesn't have too much of a sweet tooth, unluckily it means she still eats too much of their family's deserts.  
"Why did we hire her again?"  
  
"We liked her and she's a decent cook. Anyway, babe I've gotta bring the kids home, "I'll meet you there?"  
Their dad nods, his droopy eyes not seeming much different to an outsider but there's something about them that changes when he looks at their pop. Akira can't really name it but his pop's wearing a similar expression, as they give one another a peck on the lips.  
"See you later loser."  
  
Takahiro walks out, taking both sons by the hands and heading to their home, their real home. Akira looks up at his pop and he can't help but think that he knows his parents are in love. It certainly looks different than in story books, there's no princess in need of saving or dragons to be killed, they aren't particularly chivalrous and neither of them can carry a note, but he knows that his parents are really in love. He can tell by the way that when something happens, small or big their eyes always land on one another, he can tell because despite the weird way they communicate they seem to understand each other, and though he has heard them argue and knows they've been sad they also want to do whatever they can to be happy together. Akira will never tell his parents this, ever, he can't imagine having the conversation, he can't imagine them all laying themselves bare like that even if they wanted to. But it's nice and in this way too Akira feels lucky. But he did seem to inherit the Hanamaki curse, he can't seem to really talk about how he feels.  
  
"So Kentarou, how was school today?"  
Kentarou tenses up again, like when he was in class, Akira looks away but he's still pouting.  
"...You don’t have to talk about it if you don't want to, though I'm going to have to talk to your teacher, she didn't talk to me today, and that's just fucking rude ya know?"  
Kyoutani grumbles out a "It's fine," and their pop lets it go but Akira can see how he keeps glancing at Kentarou nervously.  
"I feel like fried chicken tonight."  
Kyoutani perks up a bit at this and smiles up at his dad, a small little upturned v that means he's excited, Akira feels his own small smile in answer. Takahiro grins when he sees it but tries to play it off.  
Kentarou than looks at Akira and looks away, as if Akira wouldn’t notice, "Only if we play hide-and seek first."  
Akira grins and clutches his pop's hand, Kentarou swinging his father's other hand, he's finally in a good enough mood to need to burn off excess energy.

So they day passes relatively well, They play in the backyard Takahiro watching, taking pictures on his camera but making sure to stay out of the way. Akira loves hide and seek, it's his favorite game because it works to all his strengths, Akira's small for his age, he's quiet and unassuming, he's clever and he can be comfortable almost anywhere. He's so good that sometimes his parents have gotten frantic looking for him for hours, only to find Kunimi hiding in some weird spot napping. Kentarou is good at seeking though, he's of average size for his age, his eyes are sharp and even though he's a bit over-emotional, it doesn't mean Kentarou isn't smart. Anyone who makes that mistake was in for a surprise. Not to mention that Kentarou knows Akira just as much as Akira knows him, making the game a real challenge.  
Kentarou goes under the oak tree in their backyard, he leans against it and begins counting. Akira doesn't bother to rush, and rather than running off somewhere Akira decides to climb the big oak tree, Akira has done it enough times to do so completely silently, and Takahiro comes over, staying close and pretending to take more pictures. Most likely so he can keep an eye on his youngest. Kentarou opens his eyes and looks around, his focused- grimace on full display. Kentarou first runs into the house, not a bad idea considering Akira usually finds a way to fudge or break the rules. Akira gets a birds eye view of the whole thing.  
"You may be up there for awhile."  
Akira looks down at his pop who's wearing an amused smirk, not an ounce of worry showing on his face. He always was the more relaxed parent when it came to safety, his pop would've never let this slide.  
"That's okay, I'll take a nap."  
His pop shakes his pink head, his smile wide, "If anyone can it's you."  
Akira closes his eyes and relaxes, the breeze on his face is nice, and the sound of leaves rustling is soothing and familiar. He smells woods and green, his eyelids grow heavy and the tension leaves his body. Spots of sunlight shine down on him and through his eyelids casting everything in a nice orange haze.  
  
"Found you!  
Akira jolts from his dreariness, when he turns to the familiar voice he sees his brother's face in the nearest window pointing an accusing finger at him. Akira huffs irritably, he didn’t expect to be found so quick and was just getting comfortable. Rather than climb down Akira rolls out of the tree wordlessly, plummeting into his father's waiting arms.  
"Ugh, you're getting too heavy for this and I'm getting too old, are you trying to kill me?"  
Akira shrugs nonchalantly, fighting off a smirk as his father lets him down. Kentarou runs outside and they manage to play two more rounds before the pop brings them inside to help set the table for dinner. 

Their dad comes back not too long after, but he doesn't bother changing or wiping off the flour since he knows he'll have to cook dinner. Everything is set up for their dad thanks to their pop and they both share a sappy gross kiss before getting started on dinner. Kentarou rolls up his sleeves and grabs a stepping stool washing his hands and getting ready to help his dad. Their pop scoops up Akira and brings him to the living room so that he and Akira are out of the way. Takahiro is a disaster in the kitchen and Akira doesn’t really have any interest, but both Kentarou and Issei seem to share the love of making food. Akira and Takahiro meanwhile sit on the couch and watch the news, sometimes they talk over it and some days like today it seems like neither one is paying attention. They just relax into each other his pop repeatedly patting his head in a comforting way.  
"I can't believe how big you're getting, stop growing will you? You're making me feel old."  
  
"You are old," Akira mumbles, and his pop yanks his hair the slightest bit in retaliation before going back to the nice petting.  
With the comforting feeling of his pop next to him, gently scraping his nails along his head the teasy droning in the background Akira can't help but doze off.  
Akira doesn't know how long he's out but he feels his father jostling up and scooping him up then start walking, Akira's still too content to open his eyes. The smell in the air causes his mouth to water and he knows dinner's probably almost worried.  
"Woah hey look at you, can't believe you can still pick up that kid."  
  
"Oh yeah, him? No problem."  
  
"Hmm..."  
  
"Giving you ideas Issei?"  
Akira feels himself deposited in a seat, and it's this that makes him reluctantly open his eyes, witnessing his parents kissing right next to Kentarou who is screeching in protest telling them how gross they are. His parents don't stop kissing, but now it's more just like their laughing into each other's mouths and after a few moments they pull away from one another.  
"Ah, Akira welcome to the land of the living. Want some food?"  
Akira just nods.  
His pop starts making everyone's plates passing them around, Issei quietly starts eating, finally looking relaxed. The whole table is quiet accept for the sounds of chewing, the rice is pretty good but the fried chicken is perfectly crisp and the meat incredibly juicy. Kentarou is happily gorging on his favorite meal, Issei making a small little chickens face on the plate out of ketchup, Kentarou doesn't dare disturb it but he does smile everytime he sees it.  
After dinner Kentarou helps clean up with their pop and a very reluctant Akira, Issei takes the opportunity to head upstairs, shower, and change out of his work clothes. By the time the kitchen is clean they find Issei in the living room. For awhile they play videogames and hang out, Takahiro and Issei stick close to one another and joke about their days and venting. But time passes quickly, and soon Takahiro's phone alarm is going off signaling bath time.  
Both boys bathe together in the tub their pop and dad making bubble beards and talking in funny voices, than both Akira and Kentarou join in until everyone's chuckling and the bath has run cold. Soon though their dried off and changed into pj's. Akira and Kentarou climb into their bunks, Kentarou taking the top while Akira climbs into the bottom bunk feeling content and clean.  
  
"Tell us a story."  
  
"What kind of story?" Their dad asks.  
  
"Make one up."  
This exchange happens every night, but Akira has to admit that both his father's are the best story-tellers he's ever heard, they both help one another but it's like they both have the same vision in their heads. Akira knows magic isn't real but his parents don't follow earth rules. That's the first time Akira hears the story of the very sleepy prince, and Akira feels light by the end of it like his consciousness will just float away and he thinks of spiky hair before sleep finally overcomes him.


End file.
